Welcome to Medical News Today

Healthline Media, Inc. would like to process and share personal data (e.g., mobile ad id) and data about your use of our site (e.g., content interests) with our third party partners (see a current list) using cookies and similar automatic collection tools in order to a) personalize content and/or offers on our site or other sites, b) communicate with you upon request, and/or c) for additional reasons upon notice and, when applicable, with your consent.

Healthline Media, Inc. is based in and operates this site from the United States. Any data you provide will be primarily stored and processed in the United States, pursuant to the laws of the United States, which may provide lesser privacy protections than European Economic Area countries.

By clicking “accept” below, you acknowledge and grant your consent for these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Please accept our privacy terms

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, personalize content and offers, show targeted ads, analyze traffic, and better understand you. We may share your information with third-party partners for marketing purposes. To learn more and make choices about data use, visit our Advertising Policy and Privacy Policy. By clicking “Accept and Continue” below, (1) you consent to these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form, and (2) you consent to allow your data to be transferred, processed, and stored in the United States.

Not everyone who carries extra weight develops health problems. However, researchers believe that while these extra pounds might not currently impact a person' s health, a lack of management could lead to problems in the future.

However, these figures can vary, depending on the source and the population to which they apply.

WHR may be a better predictor of heart attacks and other health risks than BMI, which does not take fat distribution into consideration.

A study of health records for 1,349 people in 11 countries, published in 2013, showed that those with a higher WHR also have a greater risk of medical and surgical complications relating to colorectal surgery.

However, WHR does not accurately measure a person's total body fat percentage, or their muscle-to-fat ratio.

Method 3: Waist-to-height ratio

Waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) is another tool that might predict the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and overall mortality more effectively than BMI.

A person whose waist measurement is less than half their height has a lower risk of a number of life-threatening health complications.

Measure your waist-to-height ratio

A person's height should be at least twice their waist measurement for a healthy WtHR.

To calculate the WtHR, a person should divide their waist size by their height. If the answer is 0.5 or less, the chances are that they have a healthy weight.

A woman who is 5 feet and 4 inches tall (163 cm), should have a waist measurement below 32 inches (81 cm).

A man who is 6 feet or 183 centimeters (cm) tall, should have a waist measurement below 36 inches or 91 cm.

These measurements will give a WtHR of just under 0.5.

In a study published in 2014 in Plos One, researchers concluded that WtHR was a better predictor of mortality than BMI.

The authors also cited findings from another study — involving statistics for around 300,000 people from different ethnic groups — which concluded that WHtR is better than BMI at predicting heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and hypertension.

This suggests that the WHtR could be a useful screening tool.

Measurements that take waist size into account can be good indicators of a person's health risks because fat that collects around the middle can be harmful for the heart, kidneys, and liver.

This does not, however, take a person's height or hip size into consideration.

Method 4: Body fat percentage

Body fat percentage is the weight of a person's fat divided by their total weight.

Total body fat includes essential and storage fat.

Essential fat: A person needs essential fat to survive. It plays a role in a wide range of bodily functions. For men, it is healthy to have 2 to 4 percent of their body composition as essential fat. For women, the figure is 10 to 13 percent, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Storage fat: Fatty tissue protects the internal organs in the chest and abdomen, and the body can use it if necessary for energy.

Apart from the approximate guidelines for men and women, the ideal total fat percentage can depend on a person's body type or activity level.

ACE recommend the following percentages:

Activity level

Male body type

Female body type

Athletes

6–13%

14–20%

Fit non-athletes

14–17%

21–24%

Acceptable

18–25%

25–31%

Overweight

26–37%

32–41%

Obesity

38% or more

42% or more

A high proportion of body fat can indicate a greater risk of:

diabetes

heart disease

high blood pressure

stroke

Calculating body fat percentage may be a good way to measure a person's fitness level because it reflects the person's body composition. BMI, in contrast, does not distinguish between fat and muscle mass.

How to measure body fat

Calipers measure body fat. The result can give an indication of whether a person is likely to have certain health risks.

The most common ways of measuring body fat percentage is to use a skinfold measurement, which uses special calipers to pinch the skin.

The health professional will measure tissue on the thigh, abdomen, chest (for men) or upper arm (for women). The techniques provide an accurate reading within around 3.5 percent, according to ACE.

2019 Healthline Media UK Ltd. All rights reserved. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.